Willow Park face crunch cup clash for last four place
There's a buzz around Willow Park this week as the club prepares for possibly the biggest match in its history, the quarter-final of the FAI Intermediate Cup.
The Athlone side will travel to Cork on Saturday to take on Munster Senior League outfit Ringmahon Rangers (2pm kick-off), with a place in the last four of the cup at stake.
Willow Park manager Philip Coffey said this year's FAI Intermediate Cup run has been hugely positive for the club.
“It's great for everyone involved, for all the players, all the coaches, all the staff and the committee,” he said.
Teams from the intermediate section of the Leinster Senior, Ulster Senior and Munster Senior Leagues compete in the FAI Intermediate Cup, which sits between the FAI Senior Cup and the FAI Junior Cup in the ranks.
Coffey previously led St Peter's to an FAI Junior Cup semi-final and knows that such cup runs are not to be taken lightly. “We won't get this every year,” he said.
Ringmahon Rangers play in the Senior Division of the Beamish Stout Munster Senior League and include a number of former Cork City FC players in their ranks.
Coffey acknowledges the Cork outfit are a strong side, but says every game in the Leinster Senior League has been a battle.
"We will go down there, set ourselves up and try and go win the game,” he said.
The FAI Intermediate Cup run has already secured Willow Park a spot in the draw for next season's FAI Senior Cup.
“To be in that draw, it's a great boost to have that in the back pocket for next season," he said.
Willow Park are currently midtable in the second division of the Leinster Senior League, Senior 1 Sunday.
The club joined the Leinster Senior League in 2016, having previously won the CCFL Senior Division for eight seasons in a row.
They enjoyed two successive promotions from the junior divisions of the Leinster Senior League to secure their intermediate status, before two more promotions on the trot brought them to the second division, Leinster Senior League Senior 1 Sunday, where they retained their status last season.
This is the first season in charge for Coffey, assisted by Jimmy Greene. Coffey is a former assistant manager with Longford Town and Greene is a former Athlone Town manager.
The other FAI Intermediate Cup quarter-finals are Skerries Town v Lucan United; Home Farm v Cockhill Celtic; Rockmount v Kilbarrack United.
The winners of the Ringmahon Rangers v Willow Park tie will have home advantage in the semi-final against the winners of Home Farm FC or Cockhill Celtic. The semi-finals are due to be played on the weekend of March 18/19.